Old Town North Linear Park Update and Opening Celebration of “Now or Never”

Norfolk Southern tracks in Old Town North (image courtesy of OTNA)

 

Earlier this month, the City held a meeting to introduce property owners adjacent to the Norfolk Southern Rail Line to representatives from the Open Space Institute (OSI). The Old Town North Alliance (OTNA) was also in attendance. As a reminder, the City has engaged OSI to assist in negotiations with Norfolk Southern to acquire their unused rail line for conversion into a linear park, as set forth in the Old Town North Small Area Plan (OTNSAP). OSI is funded by private philanthropy and has extensive experience working with Norfolk Southern and other railroads to convert unused rail corridors, including the Essex-Hudson Greenway in New Jersey and the Headwaters Greenway Connector in Ohio.  

 

Despite expectations that an appraisal of the Norfolk Southern land would be completed earlier this year, OSI shared that the appraisal is still in process. OTNA will continue to keep you updated as we learn more on the process and potential timelines.

 

Representatives of OSI confirmed that this is a complicated and lengthy process, now further complicated by the pending merger between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. Our meeting with City officials and OSI representatives also confirmed that consistent, assertive community engagement will be absolutely critical to the success of this effort.  OTNA is committed to be the “squeaky wheel” which will continue to urge officials to fulfill the promise of a linear park as outlined in the OTNSAP.  Ultimately, political pressure will play a vital role in this project. If you or someone you know has a connection to Federal or Commonwealth-level officials with relevant bodies (e.g., Surface Transportation Board, Federal Railroad Administration, US Dept. of Transportation, Virginia Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation, US Congress and/or Virginia General Assembly) who might be able to assist our efforts, please contact Sarah Almy at director@otnalliance.org. Your participation in making these connections will be crucial!

 

For more information about the Open Space Institute, visit:

https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/

Opening Celebration of “Now or Never” in Waterfront Park

“Now or Never” by Alicia Eggert in Waterfront Park (image courtesy of OTNA)

 

The eighth installment in the Site See series, funded by the City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program, is now on display in Waterfront Park. “Now or Never,” by artist Alicia Eggert, “Now or Never,” by artist Alicia Eggert, features two monumental structures (similar to billboards) that are positioned face to face: one says NOW and the other says NEVER. 

Alicia Eggert delivers remarks at the opening celebration for “Now or Never” (image courtesy of OTNA)

On Saturday, March 21st, the Office of the Arts hosted an opening celebration of the installation.  In remarks delivered at the opening celebration, Eggert expressed the hope that visitors would “think about where we are in this present moment and what you can do today to make tomorrow what you want to see happen.” 

 

Diane Ruggiero, Deputy Director - Cultural Arts, announced that the Office of the Arts will host a special sunrise celebration of the summer solstice when the sun will rise directly between the “Now” and “Never” signs. Stay tuned for details.

 

“Now or Never” will be on display in Waterfront Park through November 2026 and will be featured in the 2026 OTNA Art and Culture Walk brochure (available later this spring).

 

For more information about “Now or Never,” visit:

https://www.alexandriava.gov/public-art/project/site-see-now-or-never

Coming up in and around 

Old Town North this weekend

Friday, March 27th

 

  • Alexandria Symphony Orchestra performs at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (228 S. Pitt St.) at 7:30pm. Enjoy Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Summer and Winter from Vivaldi’s original Four Seasons, and Spring and Autumn from Max Richter’s re-imagining of Vivaldi - Four Seasons Recomposed. To purchase tickets, visit: https://alexsym.org/performance/fourseasonsandbrandenburg2/

 

Saturday, March 28th

Sunday, March 29th

  • Help Fill the Truck with non-perishable food items at the Old Town North Farmers Market from 9am-1pm in Montgomery Park (901 N. Royal St.) Your contributions will be delivered to ALIVE!, an Alexandria organization that serves 20,000 individuals/month providing a wide range of services from food to transitional shelter to eviction prevention. Thank you for your generosity!

Linda Vitello